Berger backs Schumacher amid comeback negativity

Gerhard Berger has backed Michael Schumacher amid a climate of continuing
criticism of the seven time world champion's performance so far in 2010.
Four races into 41-year-old Schumacher's F1 comeback at the wheel of a
Mercedes, the critique of...

Gerhard Berger has backed Michael Schumacher amid a climate of continuing
criticism of the seven time world champion's performance so far in 2010.

Four races into 41-year-old Schumacher's F1 comeback at the wheel of a
Mercedes, the critique of pundits has ranged from a verdict of
disappointment to a harsh denigration of his skills after three years of
retirement.

"I find all the talk about Michael a bit tedious, because it is always
with a negative slant," 10-time GP winner Berger, who raced in
Schumacher's era until retiring in 1997, said on Austrian TV 'Sport und
Talk aus dem Hangar 7'.

"Michael has come back and is doing what he wants. I think you cannot
change the status of someone who is a seven time world champion," added
the 50-year-old former Ferrari and McLaren driver.

Austrian Berger backs Schumacher to improve his pace in the forthcoming
races.

"We know his ambition. We know that if he does something, he does it
right. I think we must take him seriously again in the future," he said.

After the initial three races of 2010, Berger admits that Schumacher's
performance in China was a setback.

"It was weak, but that can happen," said the former teammate of the late
F1 great Ayrton Senna.

"I think he has done an excellent job so far -- except for the last race.
In the first three Grands Prix he was in the top six of the championship.
That is a great achievement," added Berger.

Also defending Schumacher is his countryman and friend Sebastian Vettel,
who until the great German's struggle in 2010 was nicknamed by the German
press 'Baby-Schumi'.

"He is yet to exhaust the potential of his car and will therefore get
better from a driving point of view from race to race," the Red Bull
driver told Switzerland's Motorsport Aktuell.